EP2940662B1 - Method for operating an automatic teller machine when multiple withdrawals are made - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a device for handling bank notes, in particular an ATM. In the method, notes of value are withdrawn from cash boxes of the apparatus in accordance with a withdrawal request. With the help of a multiple trigger sensor multiple deductions that occur when removing the notes of value from the cashbox detected.

When taking notes from cash cassettes for the payment of a requested amount of money through the ATM, it can happen that so-called multiple deductions occur, that is, several at least partially overlapping notes of value are withdrawn from a cash box at a time, although actually only one note of value are deducted should. This can easily occur, for example, with soiled, sticky banknotes.

Known ATMs therefore have several thickness sensors, wherein in each case after the withdrawal module of a cashbox such a thickness sensor is arranged, with the aid of which the thickness of the removed notes of value can be determined. About the thickness can be determined whether more than one note was deducted, so there is a multiple deduction. Was accordingly detected a multiple deduction, so notes of this multiple deduction are not paid, but transported in a designated Reject cassette. For the payment of the amount of money corresponding new banknotes are taken from the cash boxes.

The problem with this known method is that after the occurrence of a multiple deduction is no longer the correct inventory of the corresponding cashbox of banknotes is known because you do not know how many notes the multiple deduction contains. This is very critical particularly in the mixed storage of banknotes, since it is no longer known that a denomination banknote could next be taken from the corresponding cashbox. In addition, the security of the cash box's holdings of cash cycle management receipts is absolutely essential. In so-called cash cycle management, cash cassettes are exchanged directly between cash dispensers and other devices for handling notes of value, for example cash register systems, without first being supplied to a cash center. This is only possible if in fact the correct inventory of each cashbox is known.

From the document DE 10 2009 006 810 A1 an ATM is known in which after the occurrence of a multiple deduction the banknotes this multiple deduction are first transported to a buffer. Subsequently, the notes of value are individually removed from the buffer and fed to a reading unit with the aid of which the denomination of the bank notes is determined. A disadvantage of this ATM is that thus an extra separation unit for separating the notes of the cache must be provided. In particular, this is only very complicated to realize when a reel storage is used as a buffer, since the banknotes store the banknotes of the multiple deduction corresponding overlapping.

The document DE 10 2007 028 858 A1 describes an ATM, in which, if multiple deductions occur during the deposit, these multiple deductions are first cached in a cache. Subsequently, a singulation is tried again.

Another ATM is from the document DE 10 2008 029 995 A1 known.

From the document US 2005/0091159 A1 a cash machine is known in which the withdrawn from the cash cassettes bank notes are checked before the issue of their authenticity and occurred multiple deductions. Those notes of value, which have been classified as spurious and / or where multiple prints have occurred are fed to a buffer and then fed back from this either the cashbox or a Rejectkassette.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method for operating a device for handling bank notes, with the help of a simple way, a secure cash cycle management can be ensured even when multiple withdrawals occur.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, if a multiple deduction was detected in a payout process, at least the banknotes of this multiple deduction are transported into an input and / or output tray for input and / or output of notes of value. However, at least initially no issue of these banknotes takes place, but the banknotes of the multiple deduction are first singled out of the input and / or output compartment and fed to a reading unit. With the help of the reading unit, the denomination of the individual banknotes and / or the number of banknotes of the multiple deduction is determined. The determined number and / or denomination of the banknotes of the multiple deduction is taken into account in the inventory management of the cashbox. Insbesondre then takes place when actually a multiple deduction has occurred, a corresponding correction of the meter readings of the individual cash boxes, in particular the meter readings of those cash boxes from which the banknotes of the multiple deduction were taken.

Thus, it is achieved in a simple manner that after the occurrence of a multiple deduction by the corresponding separation of this multiple deduction and determination of the number of notes and / or denomination again the correct count of the individual cash boxes can be determined and thus a secure cash cycle management is possible ,

By feeding the notes of value of the multiple print to the input and / or output tray is achieved that for the singulation and subsequent determination of the denomination and / or number of units that are used anyway for separating and checking the banknotes of entered value bills. Thus, it is possible to dispense with additional components and a particularly simple construction of the ATM is achieved.

By means of the method according to the invention, it is also possible to correct other inaccuracies in the stocks of cash cassettes on banknotes which are not caused by a multiple deduction but a different error, so that secure stock management is guaranteed at all times. Such errors may include, for example, bills of value, accumulated banknotes, and / or errors in the electronics that prevent the tracking of notes of value within the apparatus for handling bills, for example, bugs of light barriers, other sensors, or the bus system.

It is particularly advantageous if only exactly one multiple deduction sensor is provided for the determination of multiple deductions, whereby a multiple deduction can be detected via this multiple deduction sensor even regardless of which cash box the notes of value were taken from. For this purpose, in particular the multiple deduction sensor is arranged at a location of the transport path, which is behind all cash boxes, that the banknotes, regardless of which cash box they were taken, must be transported past this sensor. This ensures that by saving an individual sensor for each cashbox will be minimized according to cost and space.

In order to be able to determine, despite the provision of only a multiple trigger sensor safely, from which cashbox the banknotes of the corresponding multiple deduction were taken, is assigned to the value each time a stamp when removing notes of value from one of the cashbox. By means of this time stamp, if a multiple deduction was detected via the multiple withdrawal sensor, it can be determined with certainty and unequivocally which of the money cassettes these notes of value were taken from. The time stamp is in particular designed in such a way that the order of the withdrawn bank notes is stored in a control unit, so that it can be determined by a corresponding counting of the bank notes during the advance transport at the multiple withdrawal sensor at which bank note a multiple deduction may have occurred. Alternatively, the assignment can also be determined by means of corresponding time determinations which correspond to the length of the transport paths from the individual cashbox to the multiple-withdrawal sensor.

It is particularly advantageous if the multiple-trigger sensor is designed in the form of a thickness sensor, with the aid of which the thickness of the or the notes of value transported past the thickness sensor can be determined. About the thickness can be reliably concluded on the existence of multiple prints.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, regardless of whether a multiple deduction was detected or not, first all banknotes of the payment request, so all banknotes that were selected to pay the amount requested by the control unit, the cash boxes were removed and in the input and / or output tray transported. If no multiple deduction was detected with the help of the multiple deduction sensor, all notes of the withdrawal request are issued accordingly.

If, on the other hand, a multiple deduction was detected, then all banknotes of the payment request, ie both the banknotes of the multiple deduction and the other individually withdrawn banknotes, are again separated from the input and / or output tray and fed to the reading unit, so that the denomination and / or number the individual notes of value can be determined. Subsequently, the notes of value are buffered in a buffer.

If the number of notes of value determined via the reading unit and / or the total value of the notes taken from the input and / or output tray coincides with the scheduled number or the planned total value, the notes are again taken from the buffer and returned to the buffer Input and / or output tray supplied via which they are then output to the operator of the device. This ensures that, if the multiple-trigger sensor has mistakenly detected a multiple trigger, these notes will not be unnecessarily withheld, but will still be issued. Thus, the entire payout process is simplified and unnecessary return of notes of value is avoided. The planned number is understood in particular to be the number of notes of value determined by the control unit for the payment of the requested amount. The planned total value corresponds to the requested payout amount.

However, if it is determined after removing all banknotes of the payout process that the number of notes or the total value of the notes does not match the scheduled number or scheduled total value, the notes of value are again removed from the cache and either fed to a dedicated reject cassette and alternatively supplied to the cash boxes. Here, the notes of value are distributed in particular according to their denomination on the cash boxes and preferably fed those cash cassettes, which they were previously removed. The feeding of the notes of value to the money cassettes has the advantage over the supply to the reject cassette that the notes of value are available again for a subsequent payment and thus the distance between the fillings of the cash machine can be extended.

If the number of banknotes and / or the total value of the banknotes with the scheduled number or the scheduled Total value do not match, so the meter readings of the cashbox are further corrected so that the meter reading again corresponds to the actual number of recorded bills. Under the count is understood in particular the number of currently recorded in the cashbox banknotes. Correcting the counter inventory ensures that secure cash cycle management is possible at all times.

In this case, the correction of the meter readings both before the return of the notes of value to the money cassettes or the feed to the reject containers and after done. Likewise, these two steps can be done simultaneously.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, when a multiple deduction has been detected, the banknotes of this multiple deduction are first supplied to a buffer for temporarily storing notes of value and thus not directly to the input and / or output tray. The other notes taken for the payout process, however, are fed directly to the input and / or output tray. For the banknotes of the multiple deduction or the denomination, which was actually taken individually and now taken with others together, in particular a corresponding substitute note from the respective cashbox or other cashbox of the same denomination removed and also supplied to the input and / or output tray. Accordingly, then the desired Payout amount will be issued to the operator of the ATM.

After the payout process has been completed and no further payout or deposit process has been started, the banknotes of the multiple deduction are removed from the cache and fed to the input and / or output tray. In this case, only the banknotes of the multiple deduction or, if in a payout multiple multiple deductions have occurred, the notes of these multiple multiple deductions, fed to the input and / or output tray. Subsequently, only these notes of value are accordingly separated from the input and / or output tray and fed to the reading unit, wherein the reading unit then in turn determines the number and / or denomination of the notes of value supplied to it.

Subsequently, the separated notes of value are either fed to a reject cassette and / or the cash boxes, in particular to the cash boxes from which they were taken. In this case, the feeding takes place in particular directly, ie, that the notes of value are not previously fed back to the buffer. Alternatively, the notes of value may first be supplied to the buffer and only when the number and / or denomination of all notes of multiple deduction has been determined are removed from the buffer and fed to the reject cassette or the cash boxes. The direct feeding has the advantage that the process can be completed faster.

By feeding the notes of value to the cash cassettes is again achieved that they are available again for the next payment.

It is particularly advantageous if, after the number and / or denomination of the banknotes of the multiple deduction has been determined, the meter readings of the cashboxes are corrected in such a way that the meter reading again corresponds to the actual number of recorded banknotes. This in turn ensures that a secure cash cycle management is possible.

Also in this method, the correction of the meter readings can optionally be done before feeding the notes of value to the cash boxes or the reject cassette or afterwards. Likewise, alternatively, these two steps may be performed simultaneously.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which illustrates the invention with reference to embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Geldautomaten;

Fig.2

ein Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Betreiben einer Vorrichtung zur Handhabung von Wertscheinen gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform; und

Fig. 3

ein Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Betreiben einer Vorrichtung zur Handhabung von Wertscheinen gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of an ATM;

Fig.2

a flowchart of a method for operating a device for handling notes of value according to a first embodiment; and

Fig. 3

a flowchart of a method for operating a device for handling notes of value according to a second embodiment.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a designed as an ATM 10 device for handling banknotes shown. Alternatively, the apparatus for handling bank notes may also be an automatic cash deposit or an automatic POS system.

The ATM 10 comprises a head module 12 and a safe module 14, in which in the in FIG. 1 shown embodiment, three cash boxes 16 and a reject and Retractkassette 18 are added. The ATM 10 is designed as a recycling machine, that is, in him both notes of value can be paid and also paid out again. Alternatively, the ATM 10 may also be a pure cash dispenser.

In the cash boxes 16, the paid-in banknotes and the available for the payoff notes of value are added. Here, the notes of value are added standing in particular in the form of a value note stack on their edges and can be singled and removed from the cash boxes 16 and not shown to the separating and feeding modules from the cash boxes 16 and the cash boxes 16 are supplied. The reject and retract cassette 18 is used to hold unclaimed notes of value and counterfeit notes or other notes of value which are not to be paid out again.

In the safe module 14, a slot 20 is provided, through which the notes of value between the head module 12 and the safe module 14 can be transported. In the highly simplified illustrated head module 12, an input and / or output unit 22 for entering notes of value and / or for issuing notes of value is shown to a customer.

If notes of value are entered by the customers, they are separated by a singling unit 24 and then fed to a reading unit 26, by means of which the denomination and / or authenticity of the individual notes of value can be determined. Subsequently, these notes of value are fed to a buffer store 28 and stored on it until all notes of value entered as a value bundle have been singled out and their authenticity has been checked. The temporary storage 28 is in particular a roll storage. Subsequently the deposited notes of value are supplied to the cash boxes 16.

Conversely, in the event of a payout, after a corresponding payout request has been entered by a customer, the notes of value needed for the payment of the desired amount are taken from the cash cassettes 16. In this case, it is determined in particular via a control unit, not shown, depending on the desired payout amount, how many notes of value from which cashbox 16 should be removed.

When removing the notes of value from the cash boxes 16, it may happen that unintentionally not each note is deducted individually, but it comes to multiple deductions. A multiple deduction is understood to mean, in particular, that two or more notes of value at least partially overlapping are deducted.

The problem with such double deductions is that if they were issued to the customer, they would receive more money than they requested and be debited from their account. In order to avoid this, a thickness sensor 30 is provided with the aid of which the thickness of the notes of value transported past it and taken from the cash cassettes 16 is determined. Thickness can be easily determined if there is a multiple take off.

In known ATMs 10, the multiple prints were then fed to the reject and retract cassette 18. The problem with this, however, is that then it is not known how many banknotes contain the individual multiple deductions, so that the stock of money cassettes 16 is no longer known. This is particularly critical for a cash cycle management in which cash cassettes are exchanged between ATMs 10 without having been previously supplied to a cash center.

In the Figures 2 and 3 In each case, flowcharts of a method for operating a device for handling banknotes are shown with which the stock of the cashboxes 16 can be determined reliably even when multiple withdrawals occur, so that reliable stock management can be carried out.

This in FIG. 2 The method according to the first embodiment shown is started in step S10. Subsequently, in step S12, a payout request is made with which a customer requests the payment of a desired amount of money. With the help of a control unit is determined which banknotes to which cash boxes 16 to pay the desired amount this payment request must be taken. In step S 14, the removal of the individual notes of value from the cash boxes 16 takes place step by step. In this case, a so-called time stamp is assigned to each note in step S16, via which an assignment of the individually withdrawn notes of value to the cash boxes 16 is possible. In particular, this timestamp can in the form of storing the order of the individual cashbox withdrawn banknotes.

The provision of such a time stamp has the advantage that only a single thickness sensor 30 must be provided for determining multiple copies of banknotes withdrawn from all cash cassettes 16. By means of the time stamp it can be determined at any time which cash box 16 the corresponding security note or the corresponding bank notes were taken for which a multiple deduction was determined. Thus, a single thickness sensor need not be provided for each cash box 16, thereby saving installation space and costs.

In step S18, it is determined with the aid of the thickness sensor 30 whether a multiple print has occurred during the removal of the bank notes from the cash boxes 16. If no multiple deduction has occurred for all banknotes of the payment request, all banknotes are fed to the input and / or output bin in step S20 and output to a customer in step S22 before the method is ended in step S24.

If, on the other hand, it has been determined in step S18 that at least one multiple deduction has occurred, then in step S26 all banknotes of the withdrawal request are transported to the input and / or output bin. In particular, not only those banknotes in which no multiple deduction has occurred, but also the banknotes of the Multiple deduction transported in the input and / or output tray 22.

After all notes of value of the payment request have been stored in the input and / or output compartment 22, the separation of the notes of value arranged in the input and / or output compartment takes place analogously to a deposit of notes of value in step S28. In step S30, the determination of the number and / or the denomination of the notes of value withdrawn from the input and / or output compartment 22 takes place with the aid of the reading unit 26. In this case, the notes of value are first of all fed to the buffer 28 in step S32 until all notes of value present in the input and / or output compartment have been singled out and fed to the reading unit 26.

In step S34 it is determined whether the total value of the notes of value taken from the input and / or output tray and supplied to the buffer 28 or the number of notes of value is in order. In this case, in particular, it is determined whether the total value agrees with the desired payout amount or the number with the predetermined number of bank notes that should actually be paid out.

If the total value or the number coincides with the desired values, in step S20 the transport of all banknotes from the temporary storage 28 takes place back into the input and / or output compartment 22, so that the banknotes in Step S22 may be issued to the customer before the process is terminated in step S24.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the total value or the number is not okay, the bills are transported back to the cash cassettes 16 in step S36. In this case, the notes of value are in each case transported back in particular into that cash box from which they were taken, and / or transported into those cash boxes 16 which contain a corresponding denomination.

Alternatively, the notes of value can also be fed to the reject and retract cassette 18 in step S36, but this has the disadvantage that they are not available again for a further payment.

Subsequently, in step S38, the counter counts of the cash boxes 16 are corrected, ie the counters are corrected in such a way that they coincide with the actual stock of the cash boxes on bank notes. This ensures that at any time the current meter reading is known and thus a secure inventory management is given. Thereafter, the process is ended in step S24.

The steps S36 and S38 may also be reversed in order or executed at the same time.

In FIG. 3 FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of operating a bill handling apparatus according to a second embodiment. Once the method has been started in step S110, in steps S112 to S116, in turn, the payment request, the removal of the notes of value and the assignment of the corresponding time stamps takes place.

Subsequently, in step S118, it is again determined with the aid of the thickness sensor 30 whether a multiple print has occurred. If no multiple deduction has occurred on all banknotes of the withdrawal request, the banknotes are transported into the input and / or output bin 22 in step S120 and output to the customer in step S122 before the process is terminated in step S124.

If, on the other hand, it is determined in step S118 that at least one multiple deduction has occurred, then in step S126 only the banknotes of this multiple deduction are transported to the buffer 28. The other banknotes, ie those banknotes in which no multiple deduction has occurred, however, are still transported into the input and / or output tray 22. For those notes in which a multiple deduction has occurred, "replacement notes" from the respective cash boxes 16, and, if no multiple print has occurred, transported in the input and / or output tray 22. This allows the desired total amount with the desired denomination to be issued to the customer.

After the payout process has been completed, ie, after the customer has withdrawn the desired banknotes from the input and / or output bin 22 and no further payout and / or deposit process has been started, in step S128, the banknotes cached in the caching are Multiple deduction transported in the input and / or output tray 22. If multiple multiple prints have occurred during a payout process, they will be delivered to the input and / or output tray either simultaneously or one at a time.

In step S130, the banknotes in the input and / or output bin 22 are separated and fed to the reading unit 26, which determines the number and the denomination of the corresponding banknotes in step S132.

Subsequently, the notes of value are transported back into the money cassettes 16 in step S134, wherein preferably the notes of value are respectively supplied to that cash box 16 from which they were originally taken. Alternatively, it can also be fed to other cash boxes 16 with a corresponding denomination. Likewise is alternative possible that the notes of value are not the cash cassettes 16, but the reject and Retractkassette 18 are supplied.

In step S126, a correction of the counter readings of the money cassettes 16 is then carried out in such a way that the counter readings correspond again to the actual holdings of the respective cashbox 16 on bills of exchange. Thus, a secure inventory management is realized here as well. The steps S134 and S136 may also be swapped in their order or take place simultaneously.

In step S124, the process is subsequently terminated.

Both methods have the advantage that with their help in a simple and fast way each of the current inventory of cash cassettes 16 can be determined in notes. By supplying the multiple prints to the input and / or output tray 22 and the separation thereof it is achieved that no separate separation unit and no separate reading unit for separating the notes of value from the buffer 28 and for reading the separated notes of value must be provided. Thus, a particularly compact and simple construction is achieved.

That in connection with FIG. 2 described method according to the first embodiment has compared to the method The second embodiment according to claim 3 further has the advantage that, provided that despite the positive detection of a multiple deduction on the multiple deduction sensor 30, the amount to be paid out, these notes are issued to the customers and thus the Wertscheintransporte and operations to be performed in the ATM 10 are minimized.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

ATM

12

head module

14

Safe module

16

cashbox

18

Reject and retract cassette

20

slot

22

Input and / or output tray

24

separation unit

26

reader

28

cache

30

thickness sensor

S10 to S136

step

Claims (15)

1. Method of operating an apparatus for handling notes of value, in particular in an automated teller machine,
   wherein the apparatus (10) comprises a depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22) into which to deposit notes of value and/or from which to dispense them to a customer,
   in the case of which notes of value are removed from cash boxes (16) of the apparatus (10) in accordance with a pay-out request,
   in the case of which multiple withdrawals of the notes of value removed are detected with the aid of a multiple-withdrawal sensor (30),
   in the case of which, when a multiple withdrawal has been detected, at least the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are transported into the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22),
   in the case of which the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are separated out of the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22),
   in the case of which the denomination and/or number of the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are/is determined with the aid of a reading unit (26), and
   in the case of which the number and/or denomination determined for the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are/is taken into account in the stock management of the cash boxes (16).
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that use is made of just one multiple-withdrawal sensor (30) for determining multiple withdrawals for notes of value removed from all the cash boxes (16).
3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that, in a control unit, all the notes of value removed are assigned a time stamp, with the aid of which, when multiple withdrawal is determined, it is possible to assign the multiple withdrawal to the cash box (16) from which the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal were removed.
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the multiple-withdrawal sensor (30) used is a thickness sensor for determining the thickness of the notes of value removed.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when a multiple withdrawal has been detected, first of all all the notes of value involved in the pay-out request are transported into the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22), in that the notes of value are then separated out of the depositing and/or dispensing compartment, in that the denomination and/or number of all the notes of value removed from the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22) are/is determined with the aid of a reading unit, and in that the notes of value are then stored on an interim basis in an interim store (28).
6. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that, when the number of the notes of value and/or the total value of the notes of value coincide/coincides with the planned number and/or the planned total value, the notes of value are removed again from the interim store (28), transported into the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22) and dispensed to a person using the apparatus (10).
7. Method according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, when the number of the notes of value and/or the total value of the notes of value do not/does not coincide with the planned number and/or the planned total value, the notes of value are removed again from the interim store (28) and fed to a reject box (18) or to the cash boxes (16), in particular in each case the cash boxes (16) from which they were removed.
8. Method according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, when the number of the notes of value and/or the total value of the notes of value do not/does not coincide with the planned number and/or the planned total value, the counter readings of the cash boxes (16) are corrected such that the counter reading once again corresponds to the actual number of notes of value accommodated.
9. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal first of all are fed to an interim store (28) for the interim storage of notes of value, and in that it is only once the pay-out operation has ended that the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are fed to the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22).
10. Method according to Claim 9, characterized in that, following the pay-out operation, it is only the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal which are accommodated simultaneously in the depositing and/or dispensing compartment (22), and only these notes of value are separated and fed to the reading unit (26).
11. Method according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal are fed from the reading unit (26) to a reject box (18) or to the cash boxes (16), in particular in each case the cash boxes (16) from which they were removed.
12. Method according to Claim 11, characterized in that the notes of value are fed directly from the reading unit (26) to the reject box (18), or to the cash boxes (16), without previously being stored on an interim basis in an interim store (28).
13. Method according to one of Claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, once the number and/or denomination of the notes of value involved in the multiple withdrawal have/has been determined, the counter readings of the cash boxes (16) are corrected such that the counter reading once again corresponds to the actual number of notes of value accommodated.
14. Method according to Claim 8 or 13, characterized in that first of all the notes of value are fed to the cash boxes (16), or to the reject box (18), and then the counter readings are corrected.
15. Method according to Claim 8 or 13, characterized in that first of all the counter readings are corrected and then the notes of value are fed to the cash boxes (16), or to the reject box (18).

Images